The Adventures of Superman
by Jand999
Summary: Join DC's greatest hero in his adventures through time and space. Second story in Jand999's DC Universe. Current Arc: The Trial of Superman. Read the first 10 chapter of Justice League: Origins Reborn before reading this story.
1. Chapter 1

_"Dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us. And on my soul, I swear until my dream of a world where dignity, honor, and justice becomes the reality we all share, I'll never stop fighting. Ever." -Superman_

* * *

 **Justice League: Origins Reborn is to be read first. Read through the first ten chapters.** This _is the second story in my DC Universe, and the first solo hero story. So who else to lead off with but Superman? He is my favorite hero and the true face of DC comics. The first arc of this story comes after TDoS and before Darkseid attacks earth (which as of right now, hasn't been written). It will follow Superman's trial during the 6 months between the two events I previously mentioned. At that point, well we'll get there..._

* * *

 _ **Previously on Justice League: Origins Reborn...**  
_

 **Somewhere outside of time...  
**

Clark opened his eyes. He immediately looked to his chest. There was no hole, no obvious damage. The last thing Clark remembered was the battle with Doomsday. Then...he was shot. And then he died, or at least he thought he did. Clark looked around. It appeared he was in his childhood bedroom. Warm sunlight filtered in through the window and endless rows of corn could be seen. Clark was clad in a white t-shirt and blue jeans. He always used to wear this when working out in the field.

Clark left his room and headed downstairs into the kitchen. "Ma! Pa!" Clark knocked on their bedroom door. "You in there?" Clark waited a few second but received no answer. "Where am I?" He wondered out loud. This couldn't be his real home. It just...felt different.

Clark continued his journey by walking outside. The sun felt good on his skin, but that was when Clark noticed something, his powers were absent. For the first time in his life, Clark was powerless. He couldn't see past the cornfields. He couldn't hear the cows in the distance. Just to test his theory he tried to lift the Kent family tractor. It didn't budge.

"What the hell is going on?" Clark asked the empty farm. He half expected an answer but none came. He sighed and sat down in his father's old rocking chair. "Okay Clark you can figure this out. You have to. There's a world full of people relying on you." He thought back to his last memories. "Okay I definitely died, so...is this heaven?" He looked around. "I hope heaven wouldn't be this empty."

"No." A voice said next to him. Clark whipped his head toward the voice. In the chair next to him was none other than Bruce Wayne. "You would like to believe heaven is filled to the brim. You believe in the goodness of man." Bruce added. "Probably the same reason you believe in heaven."

"So does Bruce, deep down. But your not him." Clark countered to the imposter. "Who are you and where am I?"

"Good questions Kal-El. Or Clark. Or Superman." The fake Bruce said. "You have many names. Which do you prefer?" He asked.

"Call me Clark." He was getting frustrated with the lack of answers. "Now can you answer my questions?"

"Not quiet." Bruce answered. He turned toward the cornfield and admired the view. "Beautiful place here Clark." He paused before sighing and looking at Clark again. "Fine. Call me...Nimotor. This place is...well think of it like this. Do you know what the 12 trails of Hercules are?"

Clark nodded. "I'm familiar with the tale."

"Good." Nimotor said. "Think of this world, as the 12 trials of Superman." Nimotor smiled, but it looked foreign on his face. "Well, except you won't receive 12 trials, you will only receive one." He waved his hand and the red truck Clark used to drive appeared in the driveway. "Drive to Metropolis. I'll meet you there." Nimotor disappeared in a flash.

Clark chuckled in disbelief. "What have I gotten myself into?" He said out loud. He shook his head clear and hopped into the truck. He turned the key and the truck fired up like it used to 10 years ago. Clark smiled a little and shifted the truck into gear. He quietly hummed the song, _On the Road Again,_ to himself. He pushed away thoughts of his teammates and Lois and focused on the road. He had work to do. He had to get home.

* * *

The normal drive from Smallville to Metropolis normally took around 20 hours of continuous driving. This was not a normal drive. There was not another car in sight. Not another person. The world was completely empty, yet somehow worked like it always did. Streetlights turned on at night, smoke billowed out of factories, and food magically was being made at restaurants. At one point during his journey Clark pulled into a McDonald's, inside he found mountains of perfectly warm food.

Clark was beginning to understand the world he was in. It acted like the world he was used to, expect he was the only one in it. If what Nimotor said was the truth, this world was created for him. The only question was, why? Why did Clark get an entire world to himself, and seemingly another chance at life. "Why do you think Clark?" Clark turned to look and saw Barry sitting in the passenger seat.

"Nimotor. Nice to see you again." Clark said and focused on he road.

"Not quite Clark." Barry replied. "I am an agent of...what'd you call him? Nimotor? Well whatever he chooses to call himself these days, I work for him. And unlike Nimotor I do not have a name, but if you like you may call me Barry." Then Barry paused and thought for a second. "No that may confuse you. Call me...Bert." Bert nodded.

"Okay, Bert." Clark said and looked at him. "So why'd you come to talk to me?"

"You asked a question." Bert replied easily. "I hoped to help provide an answer. So, Clark why did you get a world to yourself, and another chance at life?"

"The obvious answer seems to be that I 'deserve' it, but I don't believe that. Heroes die everyday and none of them get another chance at life. Why would I?" Clark asked rhetorically.

"Maybe your right." Bert nodded. "But then why are you here?"

"Nimotor wants something. Namely, me. For...something." Clark guessed. "The trial is to see if I'm good enough for whatever it is he wants."

"Solid idea, Clark." Bert complimented him. "Very, very, good idea Clark. I'd say you were correct if you weren't so wrong."

Clark looked at him in surprise. "Then why?"

"Oh no no no, Clark." Bert chided him. "I'm not here to answer your questions. You have to find the answers for yourself."

"Then why are you here?" Clark asked getting annoyed.

Bert shrugged. "To help you find your answers. And we're both bored." They both sat in silence for a couple seconds. "Why are you a hero Clark?"

"What?" Clark asked like it was the most ridiculous thing in the world.

"I thought it was a fairly simple question Clark." Bert retorted. "Why be a hero? Being a villain is what most people would do. There's a reason they greatly outnumber the heroes. The average man would rather be a villain, the appeal is too great. A villain can take whatever they want, a hero is simply a very generous civilian. Not only that but most heroes are under appreciated."

"I don't believe that's true." Clark said. "I believe people are naturally good. I think circumstances force people to make bad choices."

"Yes. Nimotor said you believe in the 'goodness of man'." Bert said. "Well this trial is going to test your beliefs Clark. All of them." Bert checked his watch. "Well we're almost to Metropolis."

"What I've only been driving for like 3 hours?" Clark said in confusion, but there it was, the City of Tomorrow.

"Clark this drive was going to last as long as Nimotor wanted it to. You should keep that in mind." Bert said. "Clark I'll see you again soon. You won't remember me though." And suddenly the Barry look-alike was gone. Clark didn't have time to ponder Bert's words, as the engine in his truck died as soon as Bert disappeared.

"Great." Clark said sarcastically. Then he noticed the building his truck had died in front of. "Well that makes sense." Clark got out of his truck and walked into the Daily Planet. Just like everywhere else it was completely empty. "Nimotor?" Clark called out into the empty lobby.

"Right here Clark." Nimotor was seated at the receptionist desk, filling out paper work. He still looked like Bruce. "You're going to forget about all of this Clark, it's the only way to ensure that your actions are truly pure. Do you understand?"

"Yes I understand." Clark nodded. "So what exactly is this trial going to be?"

"Like Bert told you, this trial will test your beliefs." Nimotor explained. "But most of all, it will make sure you're the hero the universe deserves. I hope for all of us you succeed, godspeed Superman. I'll see on the other side."

And then Clark blacked out.

* * *

"Ugh, my head is killing me." Clark groaned as he woke up. He sat up in bed and looked around. 'Weird. I feel like someone else should be here...' He shook the thought from his head. 'Come on Clark you know you live alone.' He rolled out of bed and fumbled around for his glasses, he couldn't see without the the damn things. He finally found them after several minutes of groping around in the dark. He put them on and he could now get his day started.

Shower, shave, brush teeth, get dressed. The same routine everyday. Dress shoes, black slacks, white shirt, suit jacket, and a tie. Black or red. Company policy. Then all he had to do was grab his briefcase and work id. It was a small piece of plastic that seemingly controlled his whole life. It had his name, date of birth, a picture, and of course the famous LexCorp logo. It also had the ability to monitor his every move. If he wasn't within 10 feet of it at all times he would be fired, or possibly even worse. LexCorp also used the id to make sure their employee's weren't doing any 'unsavory' activities. Clark was pretty sure the id recorded audio as well.

Clark left his small one-bedroom apartment and walked out into the not-so-fresh Metropolis air. Many people wore medical mask to protect themselves was the harmful, polluted air. Clark knew it may eventually kill him, but he refused to wear a mask, it didn't feel right. "Hey!" Clark heard a harsh voice yell in his direction. He turned around to a LexCorp enforcer standing behind him. "Be careful walking that way. There are protesters on 9th and Mitchell." Clark nodded his thanks and continued down the street, it wasn't long before he could see the protesters.

There were about two dozen protesters chanting in unison. Picket signs displaying their very clear message. 'LexCorp is evil!' 'Superman is a monster!' 'The Justice League doesn't care about Justice!' Protest like these were common, and Clark knew what was coming next. Enforcers began attacking the protesters, beating them with batons and shocking them with tasers. Suddenly they all stopped and looked toward the sky. Clark saw why they stopped. Superman had arrived.

"Mr. Luthor!" The head enforcer fell to one knee. His fellow enforcers followed his lead. "We were just dealing with these dirty criminals, Superman, sir."

"Good work solider." Superman said as he landed gently in front of the man. "But I'll handle them from here. Understood?" There was an underlying threat to his words. The enforcer had done nothing wrong, but Superman made sure he knew that didn't matter. If Superman desired him dead, he would die.

"Yes, sir." He said quickly before getting away as quickly as possible. Clark realized he shouldn't be standing out in the open and quickly ducked behind a dumpster, so he could still see. Superman turned his attention to the protesters, who were either too injured to move, or paralyzed with fear.

Superman slowly walked around the protesters bodies. "Who is in charge here?" He asked the group. When he failed to recieve an answer he picked up one the protesters by her neck. She was a young pretty girl, probably still in her teens. And then he snapped her neck. "Anyone want to talk now?"

Clark's breath caught in his throat. He didn't know how many people he had seen killed by the Justice League, at least a hundred, but for some reason it suddenly bothered him. And then the deaths of all those other people ran through his head and he just couldn't stand it anymore. He had to do something, so he stood up to run out there, but was immediately jerked back down. "Are you crazy Clark? What the hell are you doing?"

Clark turned to see a blonde man about his age. It was Bert, his best friend since kindergarten. "I'm going to stop him." He stated.

"Clark you can't stop him. He's Superman. He could kill you with a look. Literally." Bert looked at him like he was insane. "You can't go out there, you'll die. Plus they're going to die whether you go out there or not."

"That doesn't matter. I have an obligation to stand up for what's right, whether I have the power to stop it or not." Clark explained.

"What good will it do? You're just going to die." Bert pleaded with his friend. "And so will all of them."

"Maybe it will inspire someone else. At the very least I'll be doing what's right." Clark then heard someone scream out in pain and he ran out from his hiding place. Out of the corner of his eyes he thought he saw Bert smile. "Hey! Superman!" He picked up a rock and hurled it at Superman, nailing him in the head. "Let him go!"

Superman had been using his heat vision to torture one of the protesters. He slowly turned around and faced Clark. "Who, the hell, are you?"

"Clark Kent." Clark said confidently. "And you need to stop hurting these people."

Superman laughed in his face. "Why? Whose going to stop me? You? I am a god! You're pathetic!"

"No I can't stop you." Clark admitted. "But I know two things. First, I'm doing the right thing, even if it gets me killed. Second, you are not a god."

"I'm not a god!" Superman cried in anger. "You must be confusing me with someone else, because I am certainly a god! I will punish you Clark Kent, but not by killing you, no that would be too easy. Instead I will make you watch all of these people die, and then I will kill you. How does that sounds Clark?"

"Just kill me, you don't have to kill them." Clark pleaded.

"Oh but I do Clark. They have disobeyed me. They have disobeyed their god. I give them that all that they need and yet they still are not satisfied." Superman had the look of a madman in his eyes. "There is no hunger, no poverty, no crime, we live in a perfect world. All thanks to me and the other Justice Leaguers. We have given them all that they could wish for and we get no thanks. They must be punished Clark, and they must be punished with death."

"What kind of perfect world doesn't have freedom, Alexander?" Clark asked as he started Lex Luthor in the eyes.

Superman's breathing became ragged. "You...you will not call me that! You will pay! I will ki-" And then the world exploded, and Clark blacked out.

* * *

Clark once again woke with an ache in his head. "This better not become a regular thing." Then he noticed he wasn't in his tiny one bedroom apartment. The events of the previous day came flooding back to him. The last thing he remembered was a huge explosion and then a black out. "Where the hell am I?" He asked aloud not expecting an answer.

"Hey Smallville. Long time no see."

* * *

 _And that concludes our first chapter of **The Adventures of Superman**. Little short, but this is where the chapter ends. I sincerely hope you enjoyed. Please follow, favorite, review, blah, blah, blah. And here is my pondering for the day. We all have different goals and expectations for ourselves, and often the greatest disappointments we have are when we fail to reach goals we set for ourselves. And when we met a goal it isn't that satisfying, because well, we were supposed to succeed. Humans are always pushing for excellence, but it can be good to remember when we do something good and celebrate it, who knows how many more times you can. Now for our second quote of the day._

* * *

 _It's not an S. On my world it means hope. -Superman  
_


	2. Chapter 2

_It's not wrong if it's the truth -Lois Lane_

* * *

 _In the landscape of great love stories there are a few that rise far above the rest. Romeo and Juliet, Gone with the Wind, Ron and Hermione, Peeta and Katniss, Marshall and Lily, and finally, Lois Lane and Clark Kent, not Superman. Lois Lane was attracted to Superman, there's no doubt about that, but she fell in love with Clark Kent._

 _Great love stories inspire us, they give us hope that we can get that perfect love story too. Most people don't, some do, but it is possible for everyone. Lois and Clark, like most love stories, isn't logical. Out of everyone in the DC Universe Superman's most logical match would appear to be Wonder Woman. It just makes sense. But love doesn't make sense, and Wonder Woman isn't who Superman loves, it's Lois Lane._

* * *

"Hey Smallville. Long time no see."

Clark froze when he heard the voice. The sweet, soft, voice he hadn't heard for so long. The voice of the woman he loved with all his heart. Lois Lane. His heart was beating a million miles a minute while he slowly turned around. And then he saw her, and she was as beautiful as ever. Her face was covered in dirt and her clothing hadn't been washed in at least a week, but her eyes still shone as bright as ever. Her smile was perfect and warmed him to his core. She looked amazing.

"Cat got your tongue Clark?" Lois asked teasingly, "Well Clark? Say something."

"I missed you," Clark said softly as he stood up and began walking across the room toward Lois. "I thought..." He trailed off not wanting to verbalize the thought. The thought that the woman he loved may be dead.

She met him in the middle of the room. They stared silently at each other. Finally she spoke, "I know Clark. Sometimes I wondered if the same had happened to you, but we're both alright," She smiled and cupped his face, "And we're together," Their lips were almost touching when Lois suddenly pulled back. "Wait...there's someone who wants to speak with you first."

Clark sighed slightly in frustration. He really needed that kiss. "Alright, who is it?"

"Leader of the Resistance," Lois grinned. "Bruce Wayne."

Lois led Clark out of the room he was sleeping in, which turned out to be a Men's bathroom that was no longer operational. "Where are we?" Clark asked.

"Metropolis' abandoned subway tunnels. Right now we're in the 5th street terminals." Lois responded. Clark nodded and took the opportunity to observe his surroundings. There were dozens of people scattered throughout the terminal. In one corner a group of old men were playing cards, a nearby trashcan fire illuminated the table. Children were running around, their laughter made everyone feel a little more joy. Adults of all shapes and sizes were scattered around the terminal, just doing their best to survive. Armed guards stood post at every entrance, wielding heavy assault rifles.

"Who are these people?" Clark asked quietly.

"Anyone who rejected Luthor's rule and lived to tell about it," Lois smiled at him, "Which includes you now."

"Speaking of that, what happened yesterday?" Clark asked. "I mean, how did I survive? The last thing I remember is Luthor about to kill me and then an explosion."

Lois nodded, "Those explosions were us. We saw Luthor about to kill the protesters and moved to help. Then you got involved. Your intervention gave us just enough time to get there before he could hurt anyone else," She smiled at him. "Anyway, once we got there we attacked Luthor with some special grenades, designed to only hurt him. For some reason they also knocked you out." Lois shrugged. "So maybe they still have some bugs to work out. But the attack worked and we kept him occupied long enough to get most of the protesters out."

"Most of the protestors?" Clark asked.

She gave him a sad look. "You can't save everyone Clark. You should probably get used to that now." Clark didn't say it, but he knew she was wrong. He didn't know why, but he got the feeling that he could save everyone. They arrived at a door flanked by two guards.

"Bruce is expecting you two. Go ahead." One of the guards opened the door and motioned for them to go in. Lois nodded her thanks and walked in. Clark followed behind her and the door stop behind him.

Bruce Wayne had his back turned to them. He was reading a file and glancing at a map of Metropolis on the wall. The map was covered in colored thumb tacks with pieces of string connecting them. "Have a seat."

He said without turning around. His voice was monotone and uninviting. Clark and Lois followed his command and sat in metal foldable chairs. Bruce took several moments to finish what he was doing before turning around to face his guests, "I've been looking for someone like you," He told Clark.

"Someone like me?" Clark asked in confusion.

"Someone with your level of idiotic bravery," Bruce replied. "It's admittedly quite impressive."

"Thanks, I guess." Clark said. "So what do you need from me?"

"So far The Resistance has been on defense. If we want to win this war we're gonna have to go on offense." Bruce said seriously. "Our biggest threat is the Justice League, once they're gone the entire system will crumble. The best way to take them out is to take away their strongest weapon, Superman." He held up his hand to stop Clark's question. "Luthor is practically invincible, but not entirely. He has one weakness. Kryptonite." Bruce removed a small box from his pocket. "With this he's just a normal guy. I made a bullet out of it, and I'm going to kill him with it."

Clark felt a little uncomfortable with the look in Bruce's eye. "And where do I come into all of this?"

"Two things. First, you'll make a good soldier and I need plenty of those," Bruce said. "Second, you're plan B."

"I'm plan B?" Clark asked confused.

"Those grenades we used on Luthor were Kryptonite grenades. Less effective than actual Kryptonite, but it works to slow him down. They're designed to only hurt Kryptonians, and after checking the grenades again, I'm certain they're are functioning as intended. And they hurt you." Bruce slowly explained. He was waiting for Clark to connect the dots.

"That's impossible. I don't have-" Clark started but he was interrupted by Bruce opening the little box and exposing him to Kryptonite. Clark suddenly felt lightheaded. "I- ugh. What the hell?" He couldn't think straight. He felt the urge to empty his stomach. "Please...please put that away."

Bruce complied. "Now I don't know why your powers don't work, but I'm hoping they'll kick in when we need them to. Hopefully it won't get to that point, but it may, and I'll need you to be ready if it does."

Clark nodded slowly. He had no idea how to use his powers, but he would try. "Okay. When are we going to try and kill Luthor?"

"Tomorrow." Bruce stated simply.

"Tomorrow? That seems a little soon."

"Maybe for you, but not for all the people living down here. Not for everyone living in fear." Bruce said cooly. "We don't have time to waste. He has to be stopped, and he has to be stopped now."

"I understand." Clark said. He got up to leave. "I'll be ready." He left without another word. Outside Lois was waiting for him.

"Did he tell the plan?" Lois asked excitedly. Clark nodded. "Well what do you think?"

"I hope it works." Clark smiled. "Now, how about we go catch up?" He winked and pulled her against him.

Lois smirked. "Sounds like a good idea Smallville." And then they finally kissed.

Clark sat on a bench in the Metropolis City Park. Across the street was city hall where a large crowd was gathered. They were waiting for Superman to arrive and deliver his weekly speech. Typically the speech was just hours of Luthor bragging about his power, and then insulting everyone else. But today the speech would serve an actual purpose, it would help them kill Luthor.

"This is Bat. Roll call." Bruce's rough voice came over Clark's ear piece.

"Sparrow in position." Lois responded. She was in the crowd and part of the distraction.

"Night in position." Dick was standing a few yards from Lois and was also part of the distraction.

A few more people followed, all assigned with various tasks. Finally, it was Clark's turn. "Boy Scout." He smirked at the name Bruce had assigned him. "In position."

The plan was simple. First, they would start a riot by attacking the enforcers. Then, in the chaos they would hit Luthor with Kryptonite grenades. And then while we was stunned Bruce would shoot the Kryptonite bullet. Clark was there in case any of that didn't work, which he still wasn't sure he'd be much help.

"Alright everybody get ready, I see Luthor coming." Bruce interrupted Clark's thoughts. Clark saw him as well. He floated down from the sky, landing softly on the stage. He held up his hand and the crowd instantly turned silent. Bruce was silent on the comms, knowing Luthor could easily hear him.

"Thank you all for coming. Today is a very important day for the future of Metropolis." Luthor started. Clark felt the mood change. This wasn't the speech they were expecting. "But before I get into that, allow me to introduce a couple of my friends. The Justice League." Behind him three "heroes" appeared. Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl. The crowd was dead silent, nobody cheered at the League's sudden arrival. Luthor growled. "Metropolis...welcome the Justice League." The anger and threat was clear in his voice. But the crowd defied him and remained silent. Luthor's eyes began to glow red, and the crowd shifted nervously.

"Now." Bruce whispered into the comms. Luthor's head whipped to Bruce's location, but it was already too late.

"DEATH TO THE JUSTICE LEAGUE!" Dick cried and tossed a molotov cocktail at a group of Enforcers. This sent the crowd into a frenzy and it was suddenly an all out war between the crowd and the Enforcers.

Luthor continued staring at Bruce. "Handle them. I have a traitor to kill." He shot through the crowd and grabbed Bruce by the throat. He dragged him back to the stage. Meanwhile, the Justice League moved to help the Enforcers. They had no problem with using lethal force, but even this didn't dissuade the rioters, if anything it strengthened their resolve.

"You've been a pain in my ass for too long, Wayne." Luthor said as he continued to choke out Bruce. Clark began making his way toward the stage, he wasn't sure what good it would do, but he'd be there. "The Resistance ends here."

"Not as long as there are good people in the world Alex." Bruce choked out the words. Suddenly, a kryptonite grenade landed between them. "Oh, and fuck you." He grinned up at Luthor. The grenade exploded in brilliant green light. 3 more landed on the stage and exploded as well, covering the area in dust. Everyone stopped and stared at the stage, waiting for the dust to clear. When it finally did, the scene shocked everyone. Luthor was kneeled over in obvious pain. Bruce was standing and fishing something out of his jacket. When the gun was finally out he wasted no time and simply pulled the trigger.

They were only a few feet apart, Luthor had no hope of dodging the bullet. The other heroes immediately shot toward the stage but none of them were fast enough. Luthor was going to die.

And then a red blur shot from the crowd and snatched the bullet out of the air.

Flash held up the bullet for all to see. Everyone stared in disbelief. He slipped the bullet into one of his pockets and turned to Bruce. "You really shouldn't have done that Wayne." Suddenly, he darted forward and put his entire arm through Bruce's chest. "Really shouldn't have done that."

Everything froze. The rioters, the enforcers, even the Justice League members were shocked by the sudden death of Bruce Wayne. They all heard him utter one last word. "Kal-El."

Flash looked at him like he was crazy. "What the hell is a Kal-El?" He unceremoniously tossed the now lifeless body of Bruce. "Anyone have any idea what Kal-El is? Sounds like some ethnic dish." Flash glanced over at Luthor who was still struggling to get up. He clearly wouldn't be giving orders anytime soon. "Kill them all. We end The Resistance right now."

Clark barely registered these words however. His mind was elsewhere, still focusing on the name Bruce had said before he died. Kal-El. Where had he heard that before? It sounded so familiar yet alien. Alien...alien. Kryptonian. Krypton. Superman. Kal-El. Slowly, he felt power flood his body as he remembered who he was. He was Superman, the last son of Krypton, and protector of Earth. Luthor was imposter, an imposter who needed to be exposed.

Clark looked down at his clothes and they fell away revealing the big S on his chest. He smirked. Superman was back.

Superman shot into action. He had 4 opponents to take care of. Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl and Flash. There was no holding back for this fight, it would take everything he had. For now he had the element of surprise, and he had to be careful not to waste it. But first and foremost was saving as many lives as possible.

He targeted Hawkgirl first, because he knew he could one-shot her. He flew at her faster than anyone except Flash could see, and hit her in the ribs as hard he could. He heard several sickening cracks, and then she flew miles away in an uncontrollable spin. Superman didn't slow down his assault upon the heroes.

He fired heat vision into Green Lantern's back, sending him flying into a building. Wonder Woman had now caught onto what was happening, but it didn't help her much. Clark had built up too much momentum to be stopped. He simply plowed right into her, and landed a half dozen hits before finally slamming her into the ground. A thunderclap was heard as she smacked into the pavement.

The rioters and Enforcers forgot about each other and started fleeing from the super powered battle. Superman offered no mercy. He continued to pound her into the earth until he was sure she wouldn't get up. He backed off and Wonder Woman let out a soft groan.

He turned to where Green Lantern was climbing out of the wrecked building. He fired his heat vision into the unsuspecting Lantern and sent him flying back into the rubble. Superman then speed rushed the Lantern and began a full force assault. After a few hits Green Lantern was done for. The only hero left was Flash.

"Good work Clark." Flash congratulated from the stage. "Truly impressive. You kicked the shit out of them. I'm not sure it really counts, because, let's face it, none of this is real." Bert smiled. "But still impressive."

"So what now? I beat you and then my trial is over?" Clark asked.

"Something like that." Bert shrugged. "We'll talk about the end of this trial in a bit. For now I feel like going a few rounds." He didn't wait for Clark's response and shot forward to strike. Clark narrowly dodged the first swing but Flash hit him three times before Clark could react. Bert smirked and continued peppering Superman with shots.

Superman shot into the air to gain breathing room. Once in the air he fired his heat vision, but Flash easily dodged. "Can you even hit me?" Flash taunted. Superman continued firing heat vision blasts. "I'll take that as a no." Flash began running circles around Superman, trying to draw out his air.

Superman smiled and shot toward Flash. Flash saw this coming and easily dodged and then countered with a dozen punches to Superman's body. He fell out of the air and skid across the ground.

Bert stopped running and frowned down at him. "Come on Clark is that really all you have? I mean I know Barry's fast, but so fast you can't hit him?" He asked while shaking his head.

Clark slowly got to his feet. He wasn't hurting physically, he hadn't been hit hard enough for that, but his pride was damaged. "Alright fine, let's do this again." He shot forward, smashing the sound barrier. Flash barely dodged the punch.

He grinned. "Alright Clark let's do this." Flash threw a combo of punches that were all blocked or dodged. Superman responded by delivering his own strikes, but he hit nothing but air. The two separated briefly before shooting back into battle. This time their fist met with a sickening crack and Flash shot backwards, flipping several times before coming to a rest on the ground.

"Goddammit." Flash flexed his hand. "That hurt Clark." His hand vibrated for a couple seconds. "Good thing I have super regeneration." He grinned and hopped to his feet. Without warning he charged again, this time, Clark was ready.

Superman stomped his foot onto the ground and Flash shot up into the air. "Can't run on air Flash." Flash flailed around in the air trying to escape Superman's grasp, but it no use. He fell down right into Clark's fist.

Flash was sent flying and crashed into the side of a building. After about a minute of patiently waiting Clark flew over to inspect the damage. "Bert? You alright buddy?"

"I'm good Clark." Bert said weakly. "Good job beating me." He slowly got to his feet. "But your challenge is just getting started."

* * *

 _Long time no see audience. Very long time. But I'm back now for awhile until I get busy again. I hope to produce a few chapters before life sweeps me away again. But for now let's see if I can't leave you with another thought. How good are you really? It's hard to tell how good you really are until you've been confronted by true evil. In fact one could say unless your fighting true evil how good can you really be._

 _For example, I read a story about the Rwandan genocide. There a man. Early 30s, school bus driver, jokester, one the nicest men the author had ever met. When the genocide started he killed and raped just like everyone else. It's hard to argue he was a good man. Challenges test us and sometimes they reveal who we truly are._

* * *

 _"Becuase I hate you. And I want the world to hate you." - Lex Luthor talking to Superman_


	3. Chapter 3

" _Why don't you put the whole world in a bottle, Superman?" - Lex Luthor_

* * *

 _I have returned!_

* * *

"I'm good Clark." Bert said weakly. "Good job beating me." He slowly got to his feet. "But your challenge is just getting started."

Clark was sent flying through a nearby building. It didn't really hurt, but it was particularly annoying. He took a moment to gather his senses before flying from the rubble and looking for what had hit him. It wasn't hard to find. Luthor was up and ready to fight again. "I am your trial Superman! Come and face your equal!" He raised his arms to his sides.

Clark rolled his eyes. "I'm glad real Luthor never managed to copy my powers. He would be even more unbearable." He shot forward without another word and their fists made in a sonic boom. Windows miles away shattered from the force. Clark was surprised when he felt his arm buckle and he was sent flying backward again. He steadied himself in midair and charged again, making sure to hold nothing back.

Luthor grinned evilly at him and fired heat vision that Clark dived under. He came under Luthor for an uppercut. Luthor suddenly grabbed his arm easily and completely stopped Clark's momentum. "Are you sure you're Superman?" He then punched Clark so hard into the ground it leveled everything within a mile.

Clark gasped for breath as he laid in the dirt. He had never been hit so hard in his life. Why was Luthor so much stronger than him? He dragged himself to his feet just in time for Luthor to blast him again with heat vision. Clark tried to block it but he was driven right back into the dirt. He couldn't hold back his screams of pain as the heat burned his flesh. Finally, the heat vision stopped and Clark felt relief spread across his body. It was only momentary however, as Luthor fired again. Clark was completely helpless, a feeling forgein to him. Again and again, Luthor tortured the hero.

Finally, Luthor grew tired of his torture and landed next to Clark. "Pathetic. You are the great hero of Earth?" Luthor grabbed Clark by his throat and lifted him high in the air. "I should kill you now." Luthor grinned. "But I think I'll draw out your death. First, I'll destroy your body so completely you'll never be a threat again. Then, I'll burn your beloved city to the ground. Maybe I'll even pay Smallville a visit. See how Ma and Pa are doing?" Luthor's words made Clark forget this wasn't reality.

"No." Clark struggled out. He fought against Luthor's grip, but it was no use. He was simply no match.

"You can't stop me." Luthor said seriously before slamming Clark into the ground. "You'll watch your world burn. And it starts now." Luthor disappeared for a second before reappearing with Lois in his arms. "It starts with her." He said ominously before shooting up into the sky. Clark followed him despite his body screaming in pain. They both floated high above the city, glaring at each other.

"Let her go Luthor." Clark's voice had taken a dangerous edge.

Luthor laughed. "No problem boy scout." He didn't just drop her, he hurled her toward the earth. Clark shot after her, but the faster he flew, the faster her body seemed to fall. He was mere inches from her when her body hit the ground with a sickening crack. She was dead instantly. Clark's mind went blank as he stared at her lifeless body. He kneeled down next to her and gently stroked her face. A trickle of blood ran down her face. Luthor's voice pulled him from the depths of his mind. "Couldn't even save the women you love."

The numbness in Clark's heart disappeared, quickly replaced by rage he had never felt before. A dark and ugly rage that drove men insane. He slowly rose to his feet and turned to face his greatest enemy. Luthor's smile just made his anger grow stronger. An uncontrollable beast raged in the hero's heart. He slowly walked toward Luthor.

Luthor fired his heat vision but Clark dodged easily. Luthor kept firing but it was no use. Clark wouldn't be hit. Luthor went to punch Clark once he was within striking distance, but the hero grabbed it easily. He bent Luthor's fist back until it snapped. The villain screamed in pain and dropped to his knees. "Are you sure you're Superman?" Clark asked darkly. He enjoyed watching Luthor suffer. He fired his heat vision into Luthor's chest, inducing blood curdling screams. They were music to Clark's ears. Clark kept up the punishment. He knew how much Luthor could take.

"Kill him Clark." The voice made Clark freeze. He turned to see Bruce alive again. No, not Bruce, Nimotor. "Kill him Clark and you can go home. Return to life. Return to being a hero."

The words made Clark come back to his senses. "No. No that's not what I do." He shook his head. His words felt empty to him. He didn't feel like a hero right now.

"It looks like that's what you do." Nimotor motioned to the smoking body of Luthor. He was groaning in pain and trying to crawl away from Clark. "You wouldn't have killed him? If I had not showed up and reminded you that this is all a falsehood, you wouldn't have done it?"

"I...I don't know." Clark whispered. It was the truth. He didn't know what he would have done, but stopping was the last thing on his mind at the time.

"Yes you do." Nimitor said. "And it's okay, Clark. It's the right thing to do. He is an evil man. He killed the one you love. You were delivering him justice, Clark."

Clark shook his head again like he trying to dispel the thought. "No. That's not justice. I'm not God I don't get to decide who lives and dies."

"You aren't?" Nimotor asked. "What do you think they see when they look to the skies?" He motioned toward his right and suddenly there were hundreds of people standing, watching them. Jimmy, Lois, Cat, the Justice League, and his parents were standing in the front. "They don't see a man, Clark. They see an angel sent to protect them, and you've done that well. But now you must be an angel that delivers God's justice."

"Are you God?" Clark asked. He had been thinking it ever since he had found himself in this strange place.

"What if I am?" Nimotor asked.

"Then I guess I want no part of "God's justice"." Clark said defintalty. "I want no part of a God that asks me to kill anyone, even those beyond redemption."

Nimotor sighed and shook his head. "Now you're just being stubborn, Clark. If I am God, then whatever I tell you must be the right think to do, correct?"

"Apparently not." Clark said seriously.

"You were already going to do it Clark." Nimotor said matter of factly. "It's been inside you all along, you just have to take the final step."

"No." Clark said strongly. "I won't and I never will."

Nimotor frowned. "The world is an evil place Clark. It needs your cleansing light to heal it. It all starts here. Kill Luthor here, and you will finally have the power to truly make the world a better place."

"I'm already making the world a better place." Clark said. "Killing those that I think are evil just makes the world an even harsher place. Mercy does more than killing ever will."

"You're a firefighter Clark." Nimotor spat. "You wait for evil to defeat it. I am giving you the solution to prevent fire forever, to truly change the world." He waved his hand and the Justice League members appeared behind him. "How better would their lives be if the world didn't need heroes? They have suffered from the evil you refuse to extinguish."

"If I took the path you want, they'd still be heroes." Clark said. "They'd be the ones to stop me."

"No, Clark." Nimotor shook his head. "They follow Superman's lead." Clark was silent and Nimotor grew angry. "You're weak. Too weak to do what needs to be done."

"It's easy to kill, Nimotor." Clark said quietly. "Maybe not for them, but it would be for me. They don't know what's like to have power like mine. You're right, I could force serious change on Earth. I could kill every villain that ever sprang up, I could end the suffering of so many in dictatorships, I could prevent every war by showing them how powerless they really are…" He stared Nimotor dead in his eyes. "But that's not what a hero does. A hero shows mercy to those that don't deserve it. A hero protects the weak. A hero knows how important free will is."

"Maybe I really could force the world to be a better place, but it would be meaningless." Clark said. "They have to do on their own. "You will give the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun, Kal. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders." That's what my father told me. You may be all-powerful and all-knowing, but you know nothing."

Nimotor stared blankly at Clark. "Yes I'm sure your long dead father, who never saw Earth, knows better than God. You sound like a fool Clark. They will never be like you Clark. For thousands of years I have watched them, and for thousands of years they have been my worst creation. You think they have gotten better, but it's a grand act. They have grown adept at hiding their darkness, and you've allowed them to fool you."

Clark ignored Nimotor and looked toward his earth father. "I think you're underestimating mankind." He said quietly, almost to himself.

Nimotor sighed. "I didn't want to do this, Clark. Kill Luthor, or I'll destroy Earth."

Clark's heart stopped. "What? What do you mean you'll destroy Earth?"

"I think it's rather self-explanatory, Clark." Nimotor said dryly. "Either you kill this Luthor, who doesn't even exist, or I destroy your very real Earth. Simple choice, really."

Clark know what the right answer was, but he still hesitated. It was a no-brainer really, but he had to ask. "Why are you doing this?"

"Choose, Clark. I won't answer anymore questions." Nimotor said simply.

"I…" Clark let out a yell of frustration as a battle raged in his mind. "You can't do this, even if he isn't real…" He cursed and leveled a nearby building with a punch. "It's still wrong! I don't know for sure that this isn't real...dammit! I won't do this in the real world. I'll never be the villain you want me to be."

Nimotor shrugged. "All I'm asking for, is his death. Nothing more." He pointed toward Luthor.

Clark remained silent for a long time. Finally he raised his eyes toward Luthor and they began to glow red. They continued to grow brighter and brighter. "Fine, Clark. I'll give you a way out." Clark sighed and turned toward Nimotor to find him holding a gun.

"What's that for?" Clark asked. He felt strangely disturbed by the sight of the gun.

"Kill yourself and I'll leave earth alone." Nimotor stuck out the gun toward Clark. "But you will never return to life." Without hesitation, Clark picked up the gun and shot himself in the head.

* * *

Clark shot out his bed breathing heavy and sweating. He was in his apartment, the real one. Pictures of Lois, his parents, and his friends covered his bedroom. In the closet hung his costume. The TV was playing the news. The TV caught his attention. They were covering the death of Superman. Oh, right, he was dead.

The lights switched on and Nimotor was sitting in a chair beside the bed, reading a book. Clark realized it the bible his mom had given him. "They get so much wrong in this." He sighed.

"You lied to me." Clark said simply as he laid back, feeling overcome with relief.

"Yep." Nimotor said. "All part of the test. You did well by the way. Didn't give up your morals and sacrificed everything to save the world."

"Well I gave them up a little bit." Clark said. He wasn't sure how to feel about the decision he had made.

"There would be something wrong with you if you weren't willing to kill a figment of my imagination to save the world." Nimotor assured him. He shut his bible and looked at Clark. "I suppose I should explain myself. There is a "god" called Darkseid. Your friends have learned about him since your death. He is an evil tyrant that rules the planet of Apokolips. He conquers and wipes out entire civilizations. He is the one responsible for your death, and he is coming for Earth."

Clark shook his head. "Wait hold on, he's a god?"

"Eh depending on what you count as a god." Nimotor shrugged. "He's the type of god with incredible power and immortality, but there's a limit to both. If you don't consider yourself one, then he isn't one either. Anyway, that's not the important part. He's coming for Earth and you need to stop him."

Clark stood up. "Alright let's go."

"No questions?" Nimotor asked with a smile.

"Earth needs saved." Clark shrugged. "Nothing else matters."

"That's right." Nimotor smiled. "Darksied is like nothing you've ever faced. You won't defeat him, but you can beat him back. He doesn't really care about taking over the Earth, if you put up enough of a fight, he'll withdraw."

Clark nodded. "Understood." He was ready to go, but he thought it might be a good idea to listen to what God had to say. He wouldn't have this conversation again for many more years, probably. Hopefully.

"That's not all Clark. You have to stop him. Not just at Earth, but you can't let him accomplish his ultimate goal." Nimotor warned.

"Okay." Clark waited for his to elaborate. Nimotor just stared blankly at him. "Uh, what is it?"

Nimotor looked down at his watch. "Well seems we're out of time. Good luck, Clark." He snapped his fingers and everything turned to black.

* * *

 _"You will give the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun, Kal. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders." -Jor-El_


End file.
